Following the Yellow Brick Road isn’t the only way to get to the Emerald City.

Leonard Elementary students learned they can simply read their way to the shining city in the merry old Land of Oz.

Using the classic 1900 children’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” as their inspiration for March is Reading Month, Leonard students read a grand total of 169,802 minutes last month, far exceeding the school’s goal of 90,000.

“I saw children reading and reading and reading,” said Staci Dennis, the reading specialist at Leonard. “They read by themselves. They read in groups. They read with partners. This was a fantastic month and I have to be honest, I’m sad it’s coming to an end, but it has been fun.”